Fire and Ice
by EmoEccentrica
Summary: Dedicated to dyzanimegirl! HITSUXKARIN It's a normal day in soul society until Matsumoto volunteers herself and Toshiro for a mission in the world of the living. The catch? Toshiro has to go undercover in a middle school to do it. HITSUXKARIN
1. First Meeting

**Yo minna~ Okay so this is my first HitsuXKarin fic and it is dedicated to dyzanimegirl who was the 100****th**** reviewer on one of my other stories! *applause* This is my first fic with this pairing, so I do apologize if the characters are a bit OOC; it's been quite a while since I write anything for Bleach… So on with the show!**

**IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine-IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine-IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine**

"Explain to me why I'm doing this again?"

Toshiro glared up at Matsumoto, who looked like she was enjoying herself immensely. Yamamoto _had _assigned him to investigate the area around Karakura because there had been more recurrence of a reiatsu fluctuation and apparently, Soul Society's leader thought that Kurosaki couldn't handle the investigation on his own. _However_, the captain _hadn't _told him that it would be necessary to enroll into a middle school in order to do so. Toshiro had gone on his fair share of missions in the World of the Living, where he had to enroll into the human's school system, but he had never enrolled elow the level of high school.

"Because taicho, we need someone in every level of the school system. Yachiru is enrolling in elementary with Kenpachi undercover as a substitute teacher. Renji and Ichigo have high school covered; that leaves middle school and who better to play the part of a middle school student than you taicho?"

She smiled and Toshiro had to wonder if she had had any sake before they had begun their mission. Toshiro looked down in disgust as he looked at the middle school uniform he was forced to wear; although it wasn't all that different than the one of Karakura High, it still bugged Toshiro that he had been demoted. His black blazer was left open, revealing the ironed white shirt that was tucked into the black uniform pants he wore. He looked up and realized that they were already walking up the huge somewhat foreboding steps of Karakura Middle School. Toshiro glared at the school, wishing for the umpteenth time he could strangle Matsumoto for volunteering him for this mission.

Reluctantly Toshiro allowed himself to be towed into the school by Matsumoto who had donned a suit, which was borderline inappropriate- not that Toshiro bothered to reprimand her. It would make a nice change if she got reprimanded by someone other than him.

Matsumoto took him into the main office and Toshiro chuckled grimly when he heard several people gasp- presumably at Matsumoto's attire.

"Who is she?"

"I heard she was the new teacher."

"Maybe she's the new transfer student's mother?"

"If that's the case then I hope he's in my class and a delinquent."

"Don't say that you'll get in trouble!"

Toshiro felt his temper rise as he heard the soft giggle from Matsumoto; the woman really was insufferable. A balding man stood up from a desk in the front of the room and walked towards them, an unmistakable air of superiority surrounding him. He leered at Matsumoto and stuck out a sweaty palm in greeting.

"Welcome Matsumoto-sensei. We have been expecting you for quite some time now; I am the Head Teacher, Ikuta Tenonji."

He smiled a toothy smile and to Toshiro's annoyance, elicited yet another giggle from his vice captain. Matsumoto shook the man's hand and gestured for Toshiro to move in front of her, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"This is Hitsugaya-tai- I mean Toshiro. He's a transfer student that I ran into a few moments ago."

She gave the greasy old man an award-winning smile and Toshiro felt his annoyance rise. She had almost blown their cover. The man just smiled back then turned hi attention to Toshiro, obviously displeased by the fact that his hair was white, no doubt assuming that it was dyed.

"Hitsugaya-kun is it? You received our student guidebook before you got here right?"

Toshiro nodded; he vaguely remembered leafing through the packet of rules before throwing it into the fire.

"Then you must know that dying your hair unnatural colors is against school policy, am I correct?"  
Toshiro felt a sigh slip through his lips and then looked the old man directly in the eye, obviously unnerving him, his scowl deepening.

"My hair is naturally this color, Head Teacher."

For a few moments it seemed as though the man was going to protest but another glare shut him up.

"I will check that out in your records later. Class is about to start so let me find your schedule…"

The Head Teacher went back to his desk and began shuffling through the neat stack of papers on his desk, reminding Toshiro (much to his displeasure) that he himself had a stack like that waiting in his office. Stifling a groan he accepted the paper that the Head Teacher handed him and almost jumped for joy when he saw that Matsumoto was not one of his teachers; then he was handed another paper containing the name of his homeroom teacher and felt his joy dissipate. Scrawled in girly handwriting was the name 'Matsumoto Rangiku'. Said woman just smiled in contentment and then turned to Toshiro.

"Come Hitsugaya-kun, let's go to our classroom."

At least she had the sense not to call him Toshiro.

**IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine-IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine-IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine**

Karin cursed under her breath as she ran down the last few blocks to school. She knew she shouldnt have eaten that second omelet that Yuzu had made for her. Even so she had sent Yuzu on before her, insisting that she would get there on time- obviously she had been wrong. She rounded the corner and then ran up the steps of the school and then through the entrance, trying to take off her shoes without losing her balance. The last thing she needed was to fall and end up tearing the uniform skirt or something.

Finally she managed to change into her hallway shoes and ran down the corridor, slowing down slightly when she saw a teacher look at her questionably. Slightly out of breath Karin opened the door to her homeroom, expecting to see Head Teacher substituting again. Needless to say she was pleasantly surprised when instead of the greasy old man she saw a busty red head and a midget with white hair standing in front of the class.

"Sorry, I'm late."

The woman didn't turn to acknowledge her so Karin made her way to the seat in the back of the class, happy that she hadn't gotten in trouble.

"As I was saying class, I am your new teacher Matsumoto Rangiku and on a related note we have a transfer student, Hitsugaya Toshiro-kun."

Both bowed and then Matsumoto-sensei looked up, beaming and looking slightly drunk.

"Okay Hitsugaya-kun, please take a seat in the back next to.."

Matsumoto's eyes fixed onto Karin, who promptly stood up.

"Kurosaki Karin,"

Karin bowed, slightly irritated that she had chosen this seat. The only reason she'd chosen it in the first place was because there was no one in the seats surrounding her. The boy seemed to be on the same emotional page as her and walked toward the desk reluctantly, all the while glaring at the floor.

"Okay minna! I have something to do today so this period will be self study so please behave~!"

Karin looked at the woman incredulously; she had barely started and she was already taking off? The class, mainly the boys, groaned slightly, a few begging her to stay. Karin scoffed and reached into her bag, taking out a book she'd borrowed from the library. Guys were idiots.

**IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine-IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine-IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine**

Toshiro was seething. What the hell did Matsumoto think she was doing? He almost got out of his seat and shunp'od **(sp?) **over to the woman's desk; he caught himself though. He had a mission to carry out and he'd rather dress up in Yachiru's tutu and dance the Macarena , than fail in completing the mission because of the idiot woman he called his vice captain. It was with much malice that he watched Matsumoto prance out of the classroom, much to the dismay to the rest of the male students. Honestly couldn't she have chosen a less provocative outfit? Her skirt was much too short and her shirt too tight and unbuttoned way too much. Toshiro felt bad for her husband, should she ever find someone stupid enough to marry her.

Toshiro closed his eyes, trying to will away the irritation that had been growing steadily since the morning. It would not do for him to lose his temper, especially not here.

"Ano, Hitsugaya-kun?"  
Toshiro opened his eyes and saw a girl standing in front of him, obviously embarrassed judging from the blush on her cheeks. She was average height (meaning she was taller than he was) with shoulder length dirty blonde hair and kind looking brown eyes- not that he cared. He wasn't here to get into a romance with a human.

"Yes?"

The girl fidgeted and Toshiro felt a small piece of his irritation return. Why did girls take so long to say things to him?

"M-my name is Hanjo Kurumi-chan, nice to meet you."

She bowed slightly, the blush rising. Toshiro let his scowl turn into flippant disinterest.

"Nice to meet you."  
The girl looked up, obviously expecting him to say more but met instead, an awkward silence.

"Ano…?"

Toshiro shot her a glance wondering what in the world this girl could possibly want.

"Umm… I was wondering if I could have your e-mail address. You see I'm the class representative so I need to have everyone's numb-"

"I don't have one."

The awkward silence descended again, which the girl broke with a nervous laugh.

"Ah, then a phone number?"

"I don't have a phone at the moment, considering my family moved in recently. I'll be sure to provide you with one as soon as I get one."

He turned away from her, and he heard her walk away. He couldn't even bring himself to feel bad about snubbing her the way he had.

**IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine-IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine-IgnoreMeI'mMerelyALine**

**Yay the first chapter is done! Originally this was supposed to be a one shot, but for some odd reason I CANNOT write more than 2000 words at a time because around that time my muse, Gertrude, runs away from me and I usually cannot subdue her so… this will be a multi-fic! Constructive criticisms are appreciated but go easy on me as this is my first HitsuXKarin fic. Flames will be torn to shreds and the mocked in the next chapter. Review?**


	2. Coincidental Stalker

**Yo minna~ Okay well I got a **_**really **_**good response to this fic, which is really encouraging since I haven't written anything with this anime in a while… so thanks go out to everyone who reviewed: T.h.E.s.R, Theoracle-san, lazyguy90, FuyuKiba, KKH913, meggie-moo s, Ebbie54, dyzanimefangrl, and –RogueSama- ! Thanks also go out to those who favorite and alerted ^_^ seeing the e-mails in my inbox makes me deliriously happy! **

**Okay so on another note, I just wanted to clarify a few things (as well as reply to some of my reviews, for those of you who haven't read anything by me before, I usually reply to reviews in my AN's just because I really don't have the time to reply to each one individually) Ok so here goes:**

**Karin and Toshiro have NOT met before the first chapter, as I make blatantly obvious later in this chapter; she doesn't know about Soul Society, hollows etc. either- sorry for not pointing that out in the first chappie ^-^; Also Kenpachi and Yachiru will be making their appearance in later chapters!**

**T.h.E.s.R and –RogueSama-: Ehehe, thank you for pointing that out to me; I actually **_**did **_**know that but I had like a major brain fart when writing the first chapter and when I was reading through it again on the site, I wanted to kick myself so badly when I noticed it. Gomen ^_^ I'm spacy like that sometimes, but thanks for pointing that out to me anyways. Btw, -RogueSama- I loved your mini-lesson lol :D **

**This AN is really long, so without further ado, here is chapter 2 of Fire and Ice!**

_**(Fire And Ice) (Fire And Ice)**__**(Fire And Ice)**__**(Fire And Ice)**__**(Fire And Ice)**_

Toshiro was fuming by the time that the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. The entire time, girls had been coming up to him, introducing themselves and not so subtly trying to catch his interest- needless to say that they all failed and had just made him more aggravated than he already was. Toshiro got up from his desk, stretching; the desks were not all that comfortable and his back hurt like hell. After that he bent down to grab his bag, when he noticed that a girl was sitting next to him- he didn't recognize her.

The girl was somewhat tanned, with shoulder length black hair, and a serious expression that reminded him of someone… Toshiro swung his bag up over his shoulder, dismissing the notion. It would probably come to him later. He started to walk out of the classroom but stopped when he realized that he had absolutely no idea where to go. He growled under his breath and went back to the desk, determined to throttle Matsumoto the next time she had the audacity to skip work. Trying to contain his fury, Toshiro laid his head down onto the desk letting the cool wood of the desk calm him.

He let his thoughts drift, first to thoughts of all the reports he would have to do when he returned to Soul Society, then to lesser troubles such as how his squad would manage without him and such. He lifted his head up, and rubbed his temples trying to keep the headache that wanted to ambush him at bay. He opened his eyes and looked around the classroom, reveling in the fact that he was alone. He did better when he was alone- it made things so much easier. He turned around, vaguely wondering if tomorrow would hold the same torture of flirtatious introductions; he had so many phone numbers already, that were he inclined to get a cell phone, he'd easily fill up the memory.

Suddenly there was a scrape against the linoleum and Toshiro realized he wasn't as alone as he'd originally thought. The serious girl had snapped out of the daze she had been in and was now throwing her things together, mysteriously producing a soccer ball from out of thin air- or so it would appear anyway. She swore softly under her breath and ran out of the classroom, never acknowledging Toshiro. Said boy looked at the watch that adorned his right wrist and gasped at the time; it was five o' clock already! Slowly he got up, and grabbed his bag again; trying to figure out how the time had passed so quickly. Had he fallen asleep when he was contemplating all the work that was being left undone in Soul Society? He reached into his pocket and pulled out his work phone, already dialing the Captain Commander, cursing the man even though he had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he lost track of the time; he was supposed to have made a report by four and he knew the man wouldn't take lightly the fact that the report was delayed by an hour.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, do you realize that you are an hour late in reporting to me?"

Toshiro frowned at the small device he held in his hand, descending the front steps of the school.

"I got held up with something; now I will give you my report."  
There was silence on the line so Toshiro took it as a sign to continue.

"Today my vice captain and I entered the World of the Living at approximately eight in the morning. From there we proceeded to the staff room, where neither one of us picked up any reiatsu fluctuation. After that we proceeded to the classroom where my vice captain was to teach and the day passed without incident; I interacted with many of my classmates,"

Toshiro paused contemplating his words; they weren't exactly lies. He had interacted with them, just not actively.

".. and none of those whom I spoke to had any indications of abnormal reiatsu concentration. That's all."

Once again there was silence and Toshiro walked down the sidewalk leading away from the main building of the school itself, instead heading towards a bridge he had seen earlier on his way to the school; it overlooked the river and it was sure t get rid of any anger that hadn't dissipated; it wouldn't do good to beat his vice captain on sight- after all there were rules about that.

"Okay, continue your surveillance. I want you to interact with more of the students and if by tomorrow you don't find the source of the fluctuations you may return to Soul Society."

"Hai,"

The other line 'clicked' signaling the end of the phone connection and Toshiro shoved the electronic device back into the pocket of his uniform pants, absentmindedly kicking a rock. He hated missions like these- where he had to act like a human… Where he had to surrender his control over almost everything; childhood was tedious, and he was no child. Toshiro approached the bridge, eyes focused on the darkening sky. Time seemed to pass so quickly in the human realm; in Soul Society it dragged on, with no promise of ending. Maybe it was the fact that he lived a lot longer than most humans, or maybe it was just that he really didn't like his job, but time seemed to pass excruciatingly slow. The rate at which time passed in the human realm was the only thing he enjoyed, that and its sunsets. He never really could enjoy the sunset in Soul Society, considering that many nights were spent plowing through piles of paperwork that were a product of Matsumoto's lack of discipline.

He rested his head on the cool stone of the bridge, watching the river rush by under him. He scanned the area, noting that the bank by the river sort of resembled a valley the way that it slanted then rose back up on the opposite side. The quickly darkening sky made strange reflections off the water, almost as though it were trying to entice him to take a swim in the cool water. Toshiro chuckled to himself, not really understanding the joke. The area below him was empty, well almost empty; there was a girl who was chasing after something round… maybe a ball? Toshiro fixed his sights on the girl and realized that it was the girl who sat next to him at school. She was dressed quite differently, having traded in the brown uniform skirt and blazer for a pair of red basketball shorts and a white t-shirt. She chased after the ball, catching up with the rolling orb almost effortlessly and kicked it back up the hill of the bank. She ran after it, a white and red dot on a green backdrop.

However just as she was about to catch up with the ball and kick it back down, something happened that caused her to lose her balance and much to Toshiro's horror fell backwards, arms waving as though to regain her balance. She failed to do so and fell, rolling down the bank. Toshiro dropped his bag to the floor of the bridge, knowing that if he didn't act that this girl would fall into the river and be swept away by the current. He launched himself over the edge of the bridge and shunpo'd over to the girl, catching her in mid roll. Toshiro stumbled slightly, but his firm grip on the girl never faltered, even when he was teetering on the lip of the river. Retaining his balance, Toshiro walked away from the river never looking down at the girl cradled in his arms. When they were on level ground, he let her down still not looking directly at her; he opted to look at the ground instead.

"A-arigatou… wait..."

Toshiro looked up at the girl, feeling something strange in his chest when he looked directly into her raven colored orbs.

"You're the new transfer student right? I don't think I introduced myself."

She stuck out her hand in greeting.

"I'm Karin Kurosaki, nice to meet you…?"

Toshiro felt the feeling in his chest soften its grip somewhat and extended his hand to grasp her. This direction of conversation was a lot safer… or at least that's what his instinct said.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya."

He took her hand and felt as though someone shocked his entire arm… This feeling… This _aura_… His eyes widened in surprise… her name was _Kurosaki _for god's sake!

"You're the one I've been looking for…"

He had just found the person responsible for the reiatsu fluctuations- Kurosaki Karin, Ichigo's little sister.

**(Fire And Ice) (Fire And Ice)** **(Fire And Ice)** **(Fire And Ice)** **(Fire And Ice)**

Karin let go of Hitsugaya's hand, not completely understanding what the boy meant by his last statement.

"…."

The silence was deafening and accompanied with the boy's strange words, it made her uncomfortable to the point where she wanted to pick up her ball and leave; but that would be rude. He had just saved her life after all- and it really didn't matter if he was creep, because this was just a one time thing. A coincidence. Karin took a small step back, as a thought occurred to her. How had he gotten to her so fast? She hadn't seen anyone- _hell_ she hadn't even s_creamed!_ Just how in the world was he in the right place at the right time to save her? _Stalker._ The word sneaked up on her but it made sense. How else would he be prepared to save her? A frown formed on her face. He had probably been waiting in the shadows, waiting for something to happen so that he could swoop in and save her- try to win her adoration like that. She hated weak guys like that, they were the worst.

"I'll see you later, thanks again."

Karin picked up her ball from where it lay further down the bank and left, never looking back. She was grateful that she didn't fall into the river, but it pissed her off to no end that this sad excuse for a man was the one who had saved her.

**(A Few Minutes Later)**

"Tadaima!"

Karin put down her ball, and withheld a curse as she realized something; she had left her bag on the bank. This meant that she would have to retrieve it from her stalker, assuming that he had picked it up. Karin growled softly as her father rounded the corner, ready to crush her with one of his death hugs- she easily side stepped him as she saw an orange flame of hair coming down the stairs. It hit her like lightning. Maybe it would work… if she worded it right… after all, what were big brothers for?

"Ichi-nii!"

Ichigo turned to her, a confused look on his face obviously curious about the tone she had.

"What's up Karin?"

Karin moved over to the foot of the stairs and looked up at her older brother. Knowing how protective Ichigo was, Karin knew it was just a matter of asking; she'd rather not get involved with that white haired kid again.

"I need you to do me a favor, Ichi-nii…"

**(Fire And Ice) (Fire And Ice)** **(Fire And Ice)** **(Fire And Ice)** **(Fire And Ice)**

**Le gasp~ Evil cliffy! Sorry that it's kind of short, but I've been busy as of late and I kind of finished it in a rush. Review?**


	3. Choices And Circumstances

**Gomen minna! I know it's been a long time since I've updated. It's just that for some reason I've had NO inspiration for this story! Thanks go out to everyone who reviewed, favorited and alerted. I'm going to shut up now and let you read. **

**(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)**

Toshiro stretched sleepily, not wanting to get up from the comfort of his bed. Blearily he looked around the small apartment he shared with Matsumoto; they had been given their own instead of sharing with everyone else, because of Matsumoto's shopping habit. The room was sparse, a dresser the only thing besides the two beds in the room. Matsumoto was sprawled out along her bed, drooling on the pillow; Toshiro averted his eyes when he noticed she had flailed around enough during the night to expose the upper half of her body.

Grumbling he got out of the bed, throwing his comforter onto Matsumoto. He opened the door, and walked down the hall, turning to make sure the blinds to the window were down; he didn't want passerby to see him in his boxers. He walked over to the kitchen, trying to shake off the cobwebs of sleep- that's when the door slammed open.

"Oy Matsumoto I need-"

Toshiro went bright red- he didn't know if it was out of embarrassment or anger. Renji stood at the door, already in his uniform, and looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or run for his life. He wisely chose to keep quiet.

"Sumimasen Hitsugaya-taichou; I'll wait until you're dressed to come in."

Toshiro nodded, already going to his room. Never again, would he sleep in his boxers again.

**(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)**

"Karin, are you ready? If I'm going to talk to this guy I need to go early."

Ichigo looked up at the stairs, hearing the hurried sounds of his sister getting ready.

"I'm coming nii-chan!"

Ichigo looked at the clock on the wall, not sure why he cared if he was on time for school or not; after all he wasn't there for like half of it considering that he was out killing hollows. Besides his sisters came before anything else. Karin came racing down the stairs, looking out of sorts without her bag. She smiled a bit at him, which took Ichigo by surprise. Karin almost never smiled, especially when she was asking for his help. Ichigo smiled tentatively back; his sister wasn't complex, she was independent and didn't like asking for anyone's help. Ichigo smiled wryly; she was a lot like him- loyal but definitely more of a loner when it came down to it.

Karin opened the door and Ichigo followed her out, glad that his dad had left to some medical convention in the morning otherwise he would have had to dodge his dad's 'goodbye kick'. Karin and he walked in relative silence, neither one much for words. Ichigo was oddly calm though; maybe after fighting so many damn hollows he'd become immune to the adrenaline that came before a fight. They turned a corner, revealing the front gate's of Karakura Middle School. Ichigo looked around and to his surprise saw Toshiro leaning up against the block pillar with an extra bag around his shoulder. Karin tugged on his shirt.

"Ichi-nii, that guy with white hair; he's the guy."

Karin's voice was strong, but he noted a quiver of something in it... He turned to her, and noticed a soft blush on her cheeks; what the hell?

"Okay, I'll go take care of it."

Ichigo walked towards Toshiro, trying to figure out what was going on. Why was Toshiro here? And what was he doing stalking his sister?

"Oy Toshiro!"

Toshiro looked up, obviously surprised to see him. Furtively he looked around and then stepped forward.

"It's Hitsugaya-taichou!"

"Whatever."

Ichigo moved closer, wanting to know what he was missing.

"Why are you stalking my sister?"

Toshiro looked at him as though he was insane.

"What are you talking about?"

Ichigo sighed.

"My sister said you were stalking her yesterday."

Toshiro looked at him blankly, processing the information.

"I saved your sister yesterday. I was walking to our current headquarters for a meeting with Yamamoto and I stopped at a bridge because I... Watching the river pass by helps me calm down. Your sister was practicing on the banks and slipped; if it weren't for me she'd be dead!"

Ichigo looked at Toshiro, flabbergasted. He had never seen Toshiro this way- his cheeks were flushed a little and his fists were clenched in indignation. He certainly hadn't expected the explanation he'd been given. Usually Toshiro would've just blown him off and told him it was not of his concern. Something was off, he wasn't sure what, but something was definitely off.

"Speaking of your sister, I have something you need to know."

Ichigo nodded in acknowledgement, moving to lean on the pillar next to Toshiro.

"You're sister has a reiatsu, almost as high as your own. Like yours, it's leaking out and it's causing a fluctuation in the flow of reiatsu."

Ichigo looked at him, feeling a sense of numbness overtake him. Toshiro took the lack of expression as confusion.

"In other words, she's the same as you were a few years back."

"Meaning she has the potential to become a shinigami as well."

Toshiro shook his head.

"Not a shinigami- a Vizard."

Ichigo waited, knowing there was more to what Toshiro had to say.

"She needs to visit Urahara-san ASAP, or else Hollows will be flocking to her like Yachiru to candy."

Ichigo stared at the tiny taichou stunned.

"No; I won't have her go through the same thing I did."

Ichigo shuddered at the thought of his sister at the bottom of that hole..alone. The pain that came along with the final transformation. Toshiro looked at him incredulously, as though he didn't fully understand the situation. Toshiro turned sideways, eyes filled to the brim with incredulity.

"Kurosaki, you.. She doesn't have a choice! Surely you've noticed the rise of Hollow attacking Karakura! If it continues on like this, it will become an infestation; one that you alone can't hand-"

"I'll handle it for as long I need to! My sister... I won't have her go through the same thing I did. I wouldn't let anyone go through it!"

Ichigo stared Toshiro straight in the eyes, trying to will him into understanding. Toshiro moved closer to him.

"If it keeps up like this Kurosaki, to Yamamoto, she will become a threat; a threat to the security of humans. If you resist, you won't just be fighting Hollows, you'll be fighting all of Soul Society."

Toshiro thrust out the bag to Ichigo, and walked away from him. About three feet away he stopped.

"I'm leaving as soon as I make my final report to Yamamoto."

He walked away leaving Ichigo with two choices. Choice One: Throw Karin in the bottom of a pit and watch her in pain. Choice Two: Keep Karin safe until he can't anymore. Ichigo gripped the bag tighter; he would do anything for his family- for his sister; even if that meant going to war with Soul Society.

**(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)**

"What do you mean we can't go back?"

Toshiro looked at Matsumoto, not quite understanding what the busty woman had told him.

"The Senkai gate isn't opening; we're stuck here until someone can open it."

Toshiro sat down on the couch, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"Yamamoto's orders were to continue monitoring the situation until the Senkai gate could be reopened."

Toshiro's heart fell even more.

"You mean..."

Matsumoto smiled wryly.

"Until further notice I am a middle school teacher and you are a middle school student."

**(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)**

**Review?**


	4. Revelation

**Sorry guys- I know it's been forever and I doubt anyone is still following this, but I've been caught up with a lot of things lately. As an apology I included a Teacher!Kenpachi cameo at the very end. Anyway- thanks to everyone who dropped me a review, favorited or alerted! You all mean the world to me. Enjoy~**

**(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)**

Karin stared at her brother, curious as to what he had to say to her. After he had talked to her stalker, he had (without explanation) taken her by her hand and took her to a park that they used to play at before their mother died. Karin looked around, marveling at how the little park had hardly changed. Ichigo sat on one of the empty benches, while she was swinging slowly on the battered swing set.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Ichigo looked up at her, obviously confused.

"What?"

Karin sighed- had her brother just taken her to the park out of instinct?

"Why else would you take me here?"

He nodded numbly, obviously preparing himself to tell her something.

"I have to show you something- it's a secret. Not even Yuzu can know."

Karin raised an eyebrow at that, but nodded anyways. Ichigo got up and stretched, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wooden badge.

"When I press this to my chest, I'll transform into a Shinigami."

Karin's eyes went wide.

"Like the stories?"

Ichigo nodded, and then with something close to trepidation, pressed the badge to his chest. Karin watched as her brother was engulfed in light. Then as quickly as it had come, the light was gone, leaving Ichigo in black Shinigami robes, a giant sword strapped to his back. Karin gripped the chain belonging to the swing set tightly, disbelief making her heart rate climb.

"Why are you showing me this?"

He sighed and then moved to sit in the swing next to her.

"Because, you're the same as me."

Karin dropped the chain as though she had been burned and stood up, leaving the seat swinging.

"What?"

Ichigo looked down, his customary frown deepening.

"You have the potential to transform into a Shinigami."

Karin looked at him, a serious expression on her face.

"Go on."

Ichigo got up off the swing and reached behind him to pull out the giant sword. The wrappings around it, came undone revealing what could only be the biggest piece of metal she'd ever seen.

"Oh… wow- can I… can I touch it?"

Wordlessly Ichigo handed her the sword, hoping it wasn't too heavy for her. Karin touched the soft handle, and marveled at the sheer lightness of the heavy looking sword. She looked at it, and then all of sudden, a burst of warmth seemed to engulf her.

The world seemed to disappear, and Karin closed her eyes, focusing on the warmth that seemed to radiate from within her. She couldn't feel the sword's handle anymore- she couldn't even feel her feet on the ground!

She opened her eyes, and stared at the scene before her in disbelief. She wasn't in the park anymore; instead, she sat on the ground of what seemed to be a never-ending forest.

"Where the hell am I?"

_You shouldn't use such foul language, Karin._

Karin looked around, attempting to find the owner of the voice.

_To meet me, you must prove yourself worthy. I will give you three attempts at solving a riddle. If you solve it on the first try, I will appear before you. If you solve it on the second try, you will have to solve another riddle that is harder than the first. If you solve it on the third try, you will have to battle me. If you survive, I will explain what you are doing here- if you don't, then your dear brother will have no choice but to kill you. _

Karin's mind was reeling.

"Why would my brother have to kill me? What have you done to him!"

The voice seemed to chuckle and then heaved a heavy sigh.

_He won't have any choice but to kill you- it's his duty to kill what you might become._ _Now, let's start shall we?_

Karin gulped, but nodded nonetheless, refusing to believe that any of this was real.

_Okay; what is as big as you are, yet does not weigh anything?_

**(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)**

Ichigo stared at his sister's unconscious form. After she had touched his sword, she had glowed for a few seconds before collapsing in a heap on the grass. Ichigo bit his lip, moving her hair out of her face.

"Ah, it seems you have a problem."

Ichigo felt himself go stiff and slowly turned around to see none other than Urahara. The man was wearing his usual attire, accompanied by his usual smirk- only this time he didn't bother hiding it behind his fan.

"What do you want Urahara?"

Urahara's smile faltered, before disappearing completely.

"You can't do anything for her. She's in her inner world."

Ichigo stared at him blankly, not comprehending what that meant.

"Do you remember what happened when you first went into your inner world?"

Ichigo's eyes widen as he understands what the older man was getting at.

"You mean… Karin is… The same thing that happened with me in the pit, is happening to her.. NOW?"

Urahara shook his head, and Ichigo felt himself relax a little bit.

"No, what's happening to her is much worse than what you went through."

Ichigo got up, intent on punching the other man, but his fist was stopped easily.

"Hitting me won't solve anything Ichigo."

Ichigo bit his lip harder, wishing that he could do something- anything. Hadn't he just finished telling Toshiro that he didn't want his sister going through the same thing he did?

"There's nothing you can do except have faith that Karin can overcome her inner spirit on her own. I mean, look at you. When you were in the pit, I had Tessai ready to help me kill you the entire time and yet you're here alive and well!"

Ichigo ignored the comment and sat down next to his sister, trying to envision what would happen if his sister failed.

"Since she's not in the hole that you dug me, her transformation will be much worse than mine ever could've been, right?"

Urahara shrugged, taking a seat beside him.

"I don't know Ichigo- despite my extraordinary capabilities; I have never been confronted with a situation like this. Hmmm… this would make a good case study…"

Ichigo suppressed the urge to hit the other man, and settled for hitting the ground.

**(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)**

Karin stared at the ground, lost in thought. What was as big as she was, yet weighed nothing? Maybe a few pillows stacked together? She bit her lip- unlikely. Air? No, it was much bigger than she was… Karin's eyes widened as she realized what it was.

"My shadow!"

_Correct._

The air began stirring, creating a whirlwind in front of her. The wind began to shimmer, and a girl appeared before her. The girl didn't appear to be much older than Ichigo was. She was tall with long black hair. She wore what appeared to be a black blindfold, but upon closer inspection, Karin realized that there were two slits cut into it. From behind the cloth glowed two vibrant green eyes. The girl was clad in an outfit similar to the ninja outfit she had used the year before.

"I am thoroughly impressed, Karin."

The girl's voice was raspy, a contrast to the sleekness of her appearance. The girl smirked and then leaned against a tree.

"My name is Kage, and I am your inner-spirit."

Kage smirked again, and then waved her hand in the air; the air stirred with a surreal ripple. Kage closed her eyes and then began pulling at the air, as though it were a string. Karin's eyes widened when she saw a ribbon appear out of thin air. Kage kept pulling and before she knew it, Karin found herself presented with a long black katana that had a white ribbon tied around the base. Kage then pulled a sword out of the sheath that was on her back.

"In order to use that sword, you must hit me once. However, if I strike you twice, the sword will disintegrate and you will cease to exist."

Karin's mouth was dry and her throat was thick with fear. She was tough, but nobody could handle two ultimatums, especially as primitive as hers was. She bit her lip and stayed silent for a few seconds.

"So it's kill or be killed?"

Kage nodded and then her smile widened.

"That is, unless you find some other way to wound me. I don't encourage it though, considering that if you do win my subservience that way, it'll probably only to be slaughtered out in the real world. "

Karin felt her grip tighten on the sword.

"What do you mean?"

Kage let her grip loosen on the sword's hilt and her expression turned from goading to solemn.

"You're kind isn't welcomed by the Shinigami. Your brother faced much prosecution when he first discovered his powers. They will see you as a threat and seek to eliminate you."

Karin felt the sword slide out of her grasp.

"Then… why… Why did you decide to pull me in here? I would've been better off not knowing!"

Kage scoffed before returning her sword to the ready.

"I had no part in that decision. Your spirit energy reacted with that of your brother. That you turned up here when you did was as much of a surprise to me as to you… Enough chatter- let's go."

Karin barely had time to grab her sword and raise it before Kage was on her. The other girl was fast and it was all Karin could do to block her. Kage lunged at her from the side, catching her off guard and sending her sprawling to the floor. Karin grabbed up her sword and charged from the bottom. Kage's eyes went wide, not having expected that Karin would be able to recover so quickly. Kage flew backwards, leaving Karin wide eyed. Surely, her thrust hadn't been _that_ hard.

"That's what you get for taking her on without even teaching her how to fight _Onee-chan._"

Karin dropped her sword when she saw another girl appear right before her eyes. This one was the exact opposite of Kage. She was just as pale as the other girl was, but her hair was pure white, and her ninja outfit was white with a pink sash. The girl turned around to face Karin, a benevolent smile on her face.

"Hello, I'm Aki, Kage's twin."

Karin nodded numbly, and vaguely noticed that Kage was bleeding from her stomach wound.

"Aki! I told you not to meddle with this one!"

Aki looked at her sister, a deadpan expression on her face.

"That's what you told me last time we belonged to someone and you killed them in your first battle! _Excuse me_ for trying to keep the girl alive!"

Kage rolled her eyes and then stuck her sword into the ground, sitting on a nearby rock.

"Fine, her win doesn't count though."

Aki shook her head in disagreement.

"You gave her your word, now keep it."

Kage looked like she was about to protest but Aki shut her up with a single glare. Karin saw the other girl wince and then close her mouth, looking almost like a young child after a spanking.

"Fine- I don't suppose you're going to fight her."

Aki shook her head 'no' before turning around to face Karin again. She smiled then picked up Karin's sword. When she touched it, she disappeared in a bright light, and the sword clattered to the ground with a 'clunk'. Kage got up, and walked over to her, her expression bored.

"Don't think I'll let you off so easily next time. I'll strike again- soon. And then _I'll_ be _your _Mistress."

She picked up the sword and faded away; Karin caught the sword as it fell and the world around her began to warp.

**(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)**

_In Karakura Elementary…_

Kenpachi rubbed his temples, trying not to bash the principal's head in. The older man had been droning on for nearly thirty minutes now about how it was 'inappropriate' to allow first graders to fight each other with _actual _swords. Apparently, it was also against the rules to give them candy for no apparent reason.

"… make myself clear Kenpachi-sensei?"

Kenpachi nodded, and then made to get up from the uncomfortable chair he sat in when the principal motioned him to sit back down. Suppressing a groan, he did so, wishing that Yamamoto hadn't insisted that his sword be locked up to help him 'stave off temptation'. What he was tempted to do was run both the principal _and _Yamamoto through with his sword.

**(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)(Fire And Ice)**

**Okay, so this is thus far, the longest chapter in this fic. I'm going to try to make it a point to update this fic (and my others) more often, which shouldn't be hard considering Christmas break is right around the corner! Review?**


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